ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A BATTERY POWER CABLE AND A GUIDE BELLOWS FOR SAID CABLE

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrically powered motor vehicle (1) comprising a battery, a body (2) provided with an access orifice (3), hidden by a flap (4) operable to open, a cylindrical helical cable (5) for supplying said battery connected to a socket (6), said cable being conformable between a contracted conformation and a deployed conformation for use, a housing (7) for storing said cable in contracted conformation opening through an opening (8) opening opposite said orifice, said vehicle further comprising a bellows (9) deformable between a compacted configuration and an extended configuration, said bellows having a first base (11) fixed at the periphery of said opening and a second base (12), said cable passing through said bellows and exiting through a hole (13) provided at said second base. Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: MOTOR VEHICLE A ELECTRIC PROPULSION EQUIPPED WITH A POWER CABLE, A BATTERY AND A BELLOWS GUIDE FOR SAID CABLE

[0001] The invention relates to an electrically powered motor vehicle equipped with a battery power cable and a bellows for guiding said cable.

[0002] It is known to produce an electrically powered motor vehicle comprising: - a battery for supplying a propulsion motor of said vehicle, - a body provided with an access orifice, said orifice being provided with a flap operable between a position for closing said orifice and a position for opening said orifice, - an electrical power supply cable for said battery, said cable being connected on either side to said battery and to a power socket intended to be connected to an external device for charging said battery, said cable being conformable between a contracted storage conformation, when it is not in use, and a deployed use conformation, where it extends away from said bodywork to allow the connection of said socket, said cable being shaped as a cylindrical helix and being provided with an elasticity allowing it to be returned to the contracted conformation, - a housing for storing said cable in contracted conformation, said housing being located inside said bodywork and opening through an opening opposite said access orifice.

[0003] With such an arrangement, the extraction of the cable risks being accompanied by its catching on the shutter due to its cylindrical helix conformation, which complicates the extraction operation for an operator.

[0004] Furthermore, the deploying cable risks rubbing, near the access hole, against the bodywork of the vehicle and gradually leading to abrasion of its paint.

[0005] Finally, the opening of the cable housing is subject to the risk of intrusion of liquids such as water, which risks causing damage to the vehicle.

[0006] The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

[0007] To this end, the invention proposes an electrically powered motor vehicle comprising: - a power supply battery for a propulsion motor of said vehicle, - a body provided with an access hole, said hole being provided with a shutter operable between a position for closing said orifice and a position for opening said orifice, - an electrical power supply cable for said battery, said cable being connected on either side to said battery and to a power socket intended to be connected to an external device for charging said battery, said cable being conformable between a contracted storage conformation, when it is not in use, and a deployed use conformation, where it extends away from said bodywork to allow the connection of said socket, said cable being shaped as a cylindrical helix and being provided with an elasticity allowing it to be returned to the contracted conformation, - a housing for storing said cable in contracted conformation, said housing being located inside said bodywork and opening through an opening opposite said access orifice, said vehicle also having the following characteristics: - it further comprises a bellows deformable between a compacted configuration where it is housed in a space for receiving said socket when said cable is in contracted conformation, said space extending between said opening and said flap placed in the closed position, and an extended configuration where it projects from said orifice and where it is inscribed in a truncated cone shape defining a large truncated cone base and a small truncated cone base, said bellows having a first base, extending along said large truncated cone base, the periphery of which is fixed at the periphery of said opening and a second base, extending along said small truncated cone base, located at a distance from said opening, - said cable passes into said bellows and exits through a hole provided at said second base, so that said grip projects from said bellows so that it can be grasped for the purpose of placing said cable in the deployed configuration and said bellows in the extended configuration to facilitate the extraction of said cable and to protect said bodywork against abrasion by friction of said cable against said bodywork.

[0008] With such an arrangement, the deployment of the bellows towards its extended configuration can result from its ability to adopt said configuration in the absence of constraint, this being due to the elasticity, at least relative, of its constituent material.

[0009] This deployment can further be facilitated by friction of the cable actuated in traction against the periphery of the hole made at the level of the small base of the bellows.

[0010] Such an arrangement provides protection for the bodywork, near the orifice, against abrasion by friction of the deploying cable.

[0011] Furthermore, the bellows in the extended configuration allows for easier the extraction of the cable by preventing it from catching on the shutter which could occur due to its cylindrical helix conformation.

[0012] Finally, the bellows can also protect, to a certain extent, the opening of the cable housing against the intrusion of liquids such as water.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the bellows in the extended configuration projects at least 100 mm from the orifice, this dimension being able to be adapted to the size of the flap so as to avoid any interference between the deploying cable and said flap.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the shutter is mounted in rotation relative to the bodywork.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the first base is associated with a rigid annular base, provided with fixing means, at the periphery of the opening.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the bellows is made from a plurality of textile formats assembled edge to edge together, said formats being coated with a layer of plastic material so as to be protected from fluids.

[0017] According to an alternative embodiment, the bellows is made from molded elastomer material and shaped like an accordion so as to be able to easily adopt its compacted configuration.

[0018] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: [Fig.l] is a schematic perspective representation of a bellows according to one embodiment, [Fig.2] is a partial schematic cross-sectional representation of a motor vehicle equipped with the bellows shown in [Fig.l], said bellows being in a compacted configuration with the cable in a contracted conformation and the flap in the closed position (A) and said bellows being in an extended configuration with said cable in a deployed conformation and said flap in the open position (B).

[0019] We will now describe, with reference to the figures, an electrically powered motor vehicle 1 comprising: - a battery, not shown, for powering a motor, not shown, for propelling said vehicle, - a body 2 provided with an access orifice 3, said orifice being provided with a flap 4 operable between a position for closing said orifice and a position for opening said orifice, - a cable 5 for supplying electricity to said battery, said cable being connected on either side to said battery and to a power socket 6 intended to be connected to an external device for charging said battery, said cable being conformable between a contracted storage conformation, when it is not in use, and a deployed conformation of use, where it extends away from said bodywork to allow the connection of said socket, said cable being shaped into a cylindrical helix and having an elasticity allowing it to be returned to a contracted conformation, - a housing 7 for storing said cable in contracted conformation, said housing being located inside said bodywork and opening through an opening 8 opposite said access orifice, said vehicle also having the following characteristics: - it further comprises a bellows 9 deformable between a compacted configuration where it is housed in a space 10 for receiving said plug when said cable is in contracted conformation, said space extending between said opening and said flap placed in the closed position, and an extended configuration where it projects from said orifice and where it fits into a shape truncated cone defining a large truncated cone base and a small truncated cone base, said bellows having a first base 11, extending along said large truncated cone base, the periphery of which is fixed at the periphery of said opening and a second base 12, extending along said small truncated cone base, located at a distance from said opening, - said cable passes into said bellows and exits through a hole 13 provided at the level of said second base, so that said grip projects from said bellows so that it can be grasped for the purpose of placing said cable in the deployed configuration and said bellows in the extended configuration to facilitate the extraction of said cable and to protect said bodywork against abrasion by friction of said cable against said bodywork.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the bellows 9 in the extended configuration projects at least 100 mm from the orifice 3, this dimension being able to be adapted to the size of the flap 4 so as to avoid any interference between the deploying cable 5 and said flap.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the flap 4 is mounted in rotation relative to the bodywork 2.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the first base 11 is associated - for example by welding - with a rigid annular base 14 - for example made of molded plastic material - provided with fixing means 16 - in this case snap-fastening means according to the embodiment shown -, at the periphery of the opening 8.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the bellows 9 is made from a plurality of textile formats 15 assembled - for example by sewing or welding - edge to edge between them, said formats being coated with a layer of plastic material - for example polyurethane - so as to be protected from fluids.

[0024] According to an alternative embodiment, the bellows 9 is made from an elastomer material - for example rubber - molded and shaped like an accordion so as to to be able to easily adopt its compact configuration.

Claims

1. Claims Electrically powered motor vehicle (1) comprising: - a power supply battery for a propulsion motor of said vehicle, - a body (2) provided with an access orifice (3), said orifice being provided with a flap (4) operable between a position for closing said orifice and a position for opening said orifice, - a cable (5) for supplying electrical power to said battery, said cable being connected on either side to said battery and to a power socket (6) intended to be connected to an external device for charging said battery, said cable being conformable between a contracted storage conformation, when it is not in use, and a deployed use conformation, where it extends away from said bodywork to allow the connection of said socket, said cable being shaped as a cylindrical helix and being provided with an elasticity allowing it to be returned to the contracted conformation, - a housing (7) for storing said cable in contracted conformation, said housing being located inside said bodywork and opening through an opening (8) opposite said access orifice, said vehicle being characterized in that: - it further comprises a bellows (9) deformable between a compacted configuration where it is housed in a space (10) for receiving said plug when said cable is in contracted conformation, said space extending between said opening and said flap placed in the closed position, and an extended configuration where it projects from said orifice and where it is inscribed in a truncated cone shape defining a large truncated cone base and a small truncated cone base, said bellows having a first base (11), extending along said large truncated cone base, the periphery of which is fixed at the periphery of said opening and a second base (12), extending along said small truncated cone base, located at a distance from said opening, - said cable passes into said bellows and exits through a hole (13) provided at said second base, so that said grip projects from said bellows so that it can be grasped for the purpose of placing said cable in the deployed configuration and said bellows in the extended configuration to facilitate the extraction of said cable and to protect said bodywork against abrasion by friction of said cable against said bodywork.

2. Vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bellows (9) in the extended configuration projects at least 100 mm from the orifice (3).

3. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the flap (4) is mounted in rotation relative to the bodywork (2).

4. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first base (11) is associated with a rigid annular base (14), provided with fixing means (16), at the periphery of the opening (8).

5. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bellows (9) is made from a plurality of textile formats (15) assembled edge to edge together, said formats being coated with a layer of plastic material so as to be protected from fluids.

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bellows (9) is made from molded elastomer material and shaped like an accordion so as to be able to easily adopt its compacted configuration.

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